My Life as a White Trash Zombie

Teenage delinquent Angel Crawford lives with her redneck father in the swamps of southern Louisiana. She's a high school dropout, addicted to drugs and alcohol, and has a police record a mile long. But when she's made into a zombie after a car crash, her addictions disappear, except for her all-consuming need to stay "alive".

Mark of the Demon: Kara Gillian, Book 1

"Why me? Why now?" That’s what Beaulac, Louisiana, detective Kara Gillian was asking herself when an angelic creature named Rhyzkahl unexpectedly appeared during a routine summoning. Kara was hoping to use her occult skills to catch a serial killer, but never had she conjured anything like this unearthly beautiful and unspeakably powerful being whose very touch set off exquisite new dimensions of pleasure.

Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs: Half-Moon Hollow, Book 1

Maybe it was the Shenanigans gift certificate that put her over the edge. When children's librarian and self-professed nice girl Jane Jameson is fired by her beastly boss and handed $25 in potato skins instead of a severance check, she goes on a bender that's sure to become Half Moon Hollow legend. On her way home, she's mistaken for a deer, shot, and left for dead.

Super Sales on Super Heroes

In a world full of super powers, Felix has a pretty crappy one. He has the ability to modify any item he owns. To upgrade anything. Sounds great on paper. Almost like a video game. Except that the amount of power it takes to actually change, modify, or upgrade anything worthwhile is beyond his abilities. With that in mind, Felix settled into a normal life. A normal job. His entire world changes when the city he lives in is taken over by a super villain. Becoming a country of one city. A city state.

Monster Hunter International

Five days after Owen Zastava Pitt pushed his insufferable boss out of a 14th story window, he woke up in the hospital with a scarred face, an unbelievable memory, and a job offer. It turns out that monsters are real. All the things from myth, legend, and B-movies are out there, waiting in the shadows. Some of them are evil, and some are just hungry. Monster Hunter International is the premier eradication company in the business. And now Owen is their newest recruit.

Fashionably Dead

Vampyres don't exist. They absolutely do not exist. At least I didn't think they did 'til I tried to quit smoking and ended up Undead. Who in the hell did I screw over in a former life that my getting healthy equates with dead? Now I'm a Vampyre. Yes, we exist whether we want to or not. However, I have to admit, the perks aren't bad. My girls no longer jiggle, my ass is higher than a kite, and the latest Prada keeps finding its way to my wardrobe.

We Are Legion (We Are Bob): Bobiverse, Book 1

Bob Johansson has just sold his software company and is looking forward to a life of leisure. There are places to go, books to read, and movies to watch. So it's a little unfair when he gets himself killed crossing the street. Bob wakes up a century later to find that corpsicles have been declared to be without rights, and he is now the property of the state. He has been uploaded into computer hardware and is slated to be the controlling AI in an interstellar probe looking for habitable planets.

Skinwalker: Jane Yellowrock, Book 1

Jane Yellowrock is the last of her kind-a skinwalker of Cherokee descent who can turn into any creature she desires and hunts vampires for a living. But now she's been hired by Katherine Fontaneau, one of the oldest vampires in New Orleans and the madam of Katie's Ladies, to hunt a powerful rogue vampire who's killing other vamps.

Clean Sweep

On the outside, Dina Demille is the epitome of normal. She runs a quaint Victorian Bed and Breakfast in a small Texas town, owns a Shih Tzu named Beast, and is a perfect neighbor, whose biggest problem should be what to serve her guests for breakfast.

An Unattractive Vampire

After three centuries trapped underground, thousand-year-old Yulric Bile, also known as The Cursed One, The Devil's Apprentice, He Who Worships the Slumbering Horrors, awakens only to find that no one believes he is a vampire. Apparently he's just too ugly. Modern vampires, he soon discovers, are pretty, weak, and, most disturbing of all, good.

Nightlord: Sunset

Eric didn't ask to be a vampire. In fact he didn't even believe in them. Biting your own tongue with your fangs does a lot of convincing. Even so, being a part-time undead isn't as easy as you might think. It can let you hold down a day job, true, but sometimes the night "life" can be more than a little difficult, what with those bloodthirsty urges and predatory instincts kicking in.

Spells of Old: Ancient Dreams, Book 2

Having successfully driven off an assault and freed captives of Kelvanis, Sistina begins fortifying to defend those she cares about from further attacks. Yet with all her power within her halls, she cannot grant those under her protection true freedom. To truly bring hope to her love, Sistina must delve into who she once was, and bring forth every scrap of magic she has to become a shining beacon of hope. Sadly, Kelvanis' plans are only mildly impeded by her efforts up until now, and they will stop at nothing to bring their ends about.

Indian Hill

Indian Hill is about an ordinary boy who grows up in relatively normal times but who finds himself thrust into an extraordinary position. Growing up in suburban Boston, Michael enjoys the trials and tribulations that all adolescents go through, from the seemingly tyrannical mother, to girl problems, to run-ins with the law. From there he escapes to college out in Colorado with his best friend, Paul, where they begin to forge new relationships with those around them. It is one girl in particular that has caught Michael's eye, and he alternately pines for her and laments ever meeting her.

The Long Way Down: Daniel Faust, Book 1

Nobody knows the seedy underbelly of Las Vegas like Daniel Faust, a sorcerer for hire and ex-gangster who uses black magic and bullets to solve his clients' problems. When an old man comes seeking vengeance for his murdered granddaughter, what looks like a simple job quickly spirals out of control. Soon Daniel stands in the crossfire between a murderous porn director; a corrupt cop with a quick trigger finger; and his own former employer, a racket boss who isn't entirely human.

Reckoning

In New Orleans, a pair of undead serial killers is about to turn Mardi Gras into a horror show - unless the immortal hitman Bones can hunt them down first. From Jeaniene Frost comes a thrilling novella featuring characters from her New York Times bestselling Night Huntress series. Originally appeared in the anthology Unbound.

Zombie Fallout: Zero

Those who would seek a new world order have unleashed the most devastating virus onto mankind, and even they do not know the secrets hidden in their weapon. Follow along as Harry, a CDC scientist, races to figure out what exactly the virus is and how to stop it. It will be up to him and a group of marines led by Major Sanders to stop the zombie fallout before it ravages an unsuspecting world.

The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales of Fred, the Vampire Accountant

Timid, socially awkward, and plagued by self-esteem issues, Fred has never been the adventurous sort. One fateful night - different from the night he died, which was more inconvenient than fateful - Fred reconnects with an old friend at his high school reunion. This rekindled relationship sets off a chain of events thrusting him right into the chaos of the parahuman world.

Succubus Blues: Georgina Kincaid, Book 1

Succubus (n.) An alluring, shape-shifting demon who seduces and pleasures mortal men. Pathetic (adj.) A succubus with great shoes and no social life. See: Georgina Kincaid. When it comes to jobs in hell, being a succubus seems pretty glamorous. A girl can be anything she wants, the wardrobe is killer, and mortal men will do anything just for a touch. Granted, they often pay with their souls, but why get technical? But Seattle succubus Georgina Kincaid's life is far less exotic.

Undead and Unwed: Queen Betsy, Book 1

Waking up in a tacky coffin and wearing off-brand shoes, Betsy Taylor can't believe the horrible turn her life has taken; then she discovers she's a vampire. Soon, Betsy becomes a participant in a power struggle between the forces of darkness. With only her friend Jessica and the hunky vampire Sinclair to help her, this new "Queen of Vampires" will have a tough time getting her afterlife straight.

The Vampire's Mail Order Bride: Nocturne Falls, Book 1

After seeing her maybe-mobster boss murder a guy, Delaney James assumes a new identity and pretends to be a mail order bride. She finds her groom-to-be living in a town that celebrates Halloween every day. Weird. But not as weird as what she doesn't know. Her groom-to-be is a 400-year-old vampire.

Delvers LLC: Welcome to Ludus

Henry and Jason led normal lives in Seattle before they were abducted to another world. Their kidnapper, the vain, self-styled god Dolos, refuses to send them back unless they can accomplish an impossible task. Oddly, Dolos doesn't seem to care if they succeed or not. Luckily, Henry and Jason studied Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) on Earth. Unfortunately, a Japanese American EMT and a geeky IT programmer don't have many other useful skills on a sword-and-sorcery world like Ludus.

Lycan Fallout: Rise of the Werewolf

The world of man was brought to its knees with the zombie apocalypse. A hundred and fifty years have passed since man clawed and climbed his way back from the brink of extinction. Civilization has rebooted, man has begun to rebuild, creating new communities and society. It is on this fragile new shaky ground that a threat worse than the scourge of the dead has sprung... Once again, one man finds himself once thrust into the forefront of a war he wants nothing to do with and seemingly cannot win.

Miss Frost Solves a Cold Case: Jayne Frost, Book 1

Jayne Frost is a winter elf, Jack Frost's daughter, Santa Claus's niece, heir to the Winter Throne, and now private investigator. Needing someone he can trust, her father sends her to Nocturne Falls to find out why employees at a toy store are going missing. Doing that requires getting to know the town, which leads to interesting encounters with a sexy vampire, an old flame, and an elevator that's strictly off-limits. The more Jayne finds out, the more questions she has, but the answers lead her deeper into danger.

Publisher's Summary

Angel Crawford is finally starting to get used to life as a brain-eating zombie, but her problems are far from over. Her felony record is coming back to haunt her, more zombie hunters are popping up, and she’s beginning to wonder if her hunky cop-boyfriend is involved with the zombie mafia. Yeah, that’s right—the zombie mafia. Throw in a secret lab and a lot of conspiracy, and Angel’s going to need all of her brainpower—and maybe a brain smoothie as well—in order to get through it without falling apart.

In the first novel, we got introduced to the high school dropout, Angel Crawford; a self loading, pill popping-looser; daughter of an alcoholic deadbeat, living in the swamps of Louisiana. I don’t think I need to draw you a picture, just look at the fabulous cover. But all that comes to an abrupt end when she wakes up in the morgue craving brains and wondering what that hell happened to her.Who knew that becoming a zombie will put Angel on the right path, and the reader/listener in the path to discovering a fantastic, creepy, gross (better have a strong stomach) mysterious, funny, suspenseful, and downright entertaining world. I love Angel; I think you will too, she’s smart and funny. Her sarcastic personality with her self deprecating-down to earth tone make a terrific, but most importantly, a genuine character. So, If you haven’t read/listened to the first novel, stop right here. You need to get properly introduced to Ms. Rowland’s zombies, with the first entry, My Life As A White trash Zombie.Angel is coping with her new reality; she has learned most of how her new world works, and what she needs to do to survive. Everything seems to be going fine for Angel, but things start to get complicated, and now, besides making sure she has a jar of brain’s smoothie at hand - she also has to deal with new dangers; zombie hunters, conspiracies, her unsavory past catching up to her, not to mention her boyfriend's attitude.The twist and turns, the mystery, the small dab of romance, and a great ending, make this entry a must read or listen. I’m seriously hoping we don’t have to wait a whole year for the following novel, White Trash Zombie Apocalypse.

Narration:This is my first experience with Alison McLemore, and I thought she did a very good job bringing this novel and its characters to life.I have to warn you, I’m not an expert in southern accents, but Ms. McLemore approach definitely worked for me, even though, at first I thought it might have been a little bit over the top, I settled down within the first chapter, and just began to enjoy the story. She does a fantastic job communicating Angel’s emotions, as well as the rest of the character’s. The mood and feel of the novel are skillfully captured, and nicely transmitted to the listener. One thing I’m not so sure about though, that is, the sense of humor. I did find the first novel (which I read) a lot funnier than this one - I’m not sure if my inner voice for Angel was funnier, or maybe this novel was a little bit more serious. I’m planning a re-visit on audio to find out.I didn’t have problems distinguishing the different voices, except for Angel’s father, sometimes they sounded too much alike, but it's such small portion of the novel that it does not really make that much of the difference. I was fine with her male voices; this is not a romance ( the center anyway) so I’m a lot more lenient in these cases, and did I find them quite adequate.All in all, this was a great listen, and I recommend this series to any UF fan in search of something new, engrossing, original and fresh, if the word "fresh" can be use when speaking about Zombies :)

DUDE, YOU READ WAY TO MANY ROMANCE NOVELSAngel does care about her loserness and she is trying hard to become a better person or Zombie. As another reviewer has said, it is her self deprecating down to earth personality that draws you in. If you don't fall in love with this flat chested, barely 100 pound Zombie, then you need to go to surgery and have a heart put in your chest. OH SH#T, SORRY. Angel is also one tough lady, don't expect her to lay down and give up. I would like to see Rowland and Maberry do a book together, Angel just might kick Joe Ledger's butt. CARGO PANTS AND A MID DRIFT THAT SAYS REDNECK PRINCESS, ANGEL'S SIGNATURE LOOK.

JESUS, F##KING CHRIST, IT WAS A ZOMBIE SOAP OPERA.This is book two and like most series that depend upon originality, the newness has warn off a little. This is not as good as book one and the plot is a little thin, but it is a good book, cause of Angel Crawford. I am hoping that the plot is better in the next two books, cause I know I will be listening. YOU NEED TO ACCEPT I'M RIGHT A LOT QUICKER IN THE FUTURE.

UNIVERSITY HELL, I JUST WANTED TO KEEP FROM GOING BACK TO JAIL.Another reason, I like the book is its intelligent look at what we in America call White Trash. It is commonly accepted that this group of people are unintelligent and beneath the rest of society. This gives us a group of people we look down on, thus making us feel better, with out being called a racist. It is my feeling, just like any other group that is isolated, White Trash is a whole different society. I society that was formed by a group of people who fell between the cracks, who did not have the connections others had and who mostly lost hope in making it in the corporate world. In America, it is often not what you know, but who you know. I have had three main jobs in my adult life and I got my foot in the door at all three places, because I knew someone. I am middle class, I grew up middle class and my friends are middle class, it is what I know.

The narrator is excellent and makes the book better to listen to then to read.

WHEN YOU GOING TO PUT SOME MEAT ON YOUR BONES?WHEN YOU MAKE ME A SANDWICH, B**CH.

Even White Trash Zombies Get the Blues by Diana Rowland, progresses right where My Life as a White Trash Zombie leaves off. And yes, I suggest listening to the series in order, otherwise the listener will be completely lost. Angel is back, working as a driver for the parish morgue and has adjusted to her life as a member of the walking undead rather nicely. However, her luck takes a turn for the worse when she loses the body she picks up from a recent crime scene. Desperate for answers, she much search for clues as to why, and stop her troubled past from coming back to bite her and putting her much needed job in jeopardy. Angel is witty, funny and real. I found myself actually laughing out loud and listening way past my bed time, on several occasions.

I read the eBook version of the first White Trash Zombie novel, but decided to give the audiobook a try for the second. I'm so glad I did. I loved how the narrator performed the story so much, I went back and picked up the first book on audio as well. Allison McLemore is simply wonderful and portrays Angel's laid back, sarcastic attitude to a tee, making her all the more lovable. So much so, she is on my short list of favorite female book leads.

Have you listened to any of Allison McLemore’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I listened to Allison McLemore read the first book in this series "My Life as a White Trash Zombie" and she does just as good a job on this one as she did on that one. I don't normally read zombie books but listening to her in the sample convinced me to give the series a try and I am so glad I did!

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed this audiobook and the performance by Allison McLemore was top notch. While this book did make me chuckle a few times, it wasn't nearly as humorous as the first one and I missed that. I will admit that a lot of the humor in the first book was due to Angel discovering she was a zombie and learning to adjust to that, so that element couldn't be part of this story. However, I still loved Angel's sense of humor and the way she handles herself. There is more action and adventure in this storyline than in the previous book. All in all-- a great listen!

Would you listen to Even White Trash Zombies Get the Blues again? Why?

I would listen to it again. It is a great follow up to the first one.

What did you like best about this story?

Many books written by women get all caught up in who is kissing who and the emotional boyfriend drama the main characters are feeling. This is NOT the case in this book. It is a wonderful fantasy that is not boring teen melodrama.

I listened to the first two installments in Diana Rowland’s WHITE TRASH ZOMBIE series back-to-back after having absolutely freaking loved book one only to find myself wishing that I hadn’t. As much as I enjoyed EVEN WHITE TRASH ZOMBIES GET THE BLUES, I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of disappointment after the high I had experienced with the first novel. The zombie 101 elements that were prevalent in the earlier installment were mostly absent and this series’ story arc went from a slow lope to warped speed far too quickly. I still loved listening to Angel’s zombie shenanigans and I’ll definitely be buying the next book although, I am going to wait a bit longer to do that than last time.

The main character and Allison McLemore’s narration are the two main factors that keep me coming back for more. Angel is an incredibly unique and wildly entertaining heroine who I seriously just can’t get enough of. I love her snarky personality and her hilarious zombie vocabulary. It’s impossible not to giggle when she talks about tanking up or when she yells “zombie powers ACTIVATE!” I like how even though Crawford’s a newbie in this world she’s not afraid to throw her weight around, even when she’s up against some pretty heavy hitters. McLemore continues to wow me with her humorous portrayal of Angel and, I know that I’ve said this already but, I could listen to her southern twang all day long.

As much as I enjoyed this book’s plot, I did think that Rowland went a little overboard. Things just got a whole lot more complicated in the WHITE TRASH ZOMBIES universe and I’m not convinced that the author gave readers enough time to catch-up. I understand that she wanted to deliver an action-packed installment but I wish there’d been more of a transition from zombie 101 to full-on mafia war / government conspiracy. Also, most of the new developments in relation to Angel’s walking dead status were instinctual which made them less entertaining to read about because of the lack of the need for trial and error. I’m hoping things will have evened out by the third novel.

I’m still not sure how I feel about the romance between the two main protagonists. There were definitely a couple of cute moments between them and I liked learning how zombie relationships differ from human ones; like for instance, at one point Angel gives Marcus crap for not telling her sooner that she was beginning to smell. And, not like B.O. either but rotten flesh. Yuck. Ivanov had a stick stuck up his butt for a good part of this book but I began to warm-up to him towards the end when he seemed to realize that he had to get off his high horse if he wanted to continue dating Crawford.

EVEN WHITE TRASH ZOMBIES GET THE BLUES is another fun listen from Diana Rowland and Allison McLemore; definitely worth checking out if you like your snark with a side of brains.

Immediately following book 1, I jumped right into listening to the audio of book 2. This book was just as good as the first. It was fun, action packed, funny and filled with tons of gore and brains. I have certainly been pleasantly surprised by this new UF series, even though I'm a little late jumping on this bandwagon.

This story continues right after book 1, My Life as a White Trash Zombie. Angel is still her normal zombie crazy white trash self. As the story unfolds we learn more about the actual zombies in this series. How are zombies created? Is it a disease, parasite, virus? How and why do these zombies regenerate? All of these questions are answered in this book and more.

Angel finds herself right in the center of zombie problems and I'm not just talking about her needing brains. She belts out several one liners again that had me laughing out loud constantly and she shows her badassness. She's learning what she is capable of and isn't taking sh*t from anybody. She's a fighter and her feisty side shows in this book.

There seems to be many more changes coming to Angel and the zombies and I can't wait to hear how she handles it all.

This second book in Rowland’s zombie series is a worthy follow-up to “My Life as a White Trash Zombie.” The protagonist is a young girl who has dropped out of high school and been convicted of driving a stolen car, but now is trying to get her life on track. You’ll read the book because you like zombies but you’ll appreciate its realistic depiction of the struggles of growing up. The heroine takes care of herself without needing to cling to a boyfriend, which I found really refreshing. There is a lot of swearing, particularly the F word, which didn’t bother me, but would be the only thing that would stop me from giving it an unqualified recommendation as a good read for teenaged girls. [I listened to this as an audio book performed by Allison McLemore, who did an excellent job].

It took me the longest time to listen to this series because A) the title is kind of misleading and I just wasn't sure and B) the cover artwork portrays a disagreeable character. Sorry to be petty, but it just looked like books I wouldn't like. But I love them! The writing is very clever and quite unique for this genre. I love the twist on zombies that Diana Rowland created. And Allison McLemore's narration is spot on. This second book is as good as the first. Hooked again.

Great, great, great, did I mention GREAT book! I love supernatural stuff, not a zombie fan in general. BUT, this series ROCKS!!! I hope she keeps them coming. Zombie story reworked into a fun storyline that has so many possibilities. Well written and perfectly read. I can actually relate to the zombie, and I tell my friends about this book like, 'yeah, zombies are in every book, so she's a zombie, so what, you should read it.' LOL. It's action packed, funny, doesn't lag at all. Highly recommend!!

You must read My Life as a White Trash Zombie first really, as it is the prequel, I love this book. I was so pleased to rejoin Angel and the other characters in the next stage of her life. Angel is a very likeable character in realistic circumstances, other than being a zombie. I love the take on being Zombies in this book, I love how unpretentious and unlikely the heroine is and it's just a really fun read.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Mike Murphy

Switzerland

12/3/14

Overall

Performance

Story

"Angel's new life gets mess up by nasty scientists"

"Even White Trash Zombies Get The Blues" continues Angel Crawford's tale from where "My Life As A White Trash Zombie" left off. It has the same punchy style as the first novel and continues to benefit from Allison McLemore's first class narration.

The thing I liked most about the book is the way Angel grows and develops. She's turned becoming a zombie into an opportunity to turn her life around and become a better person, or at least one she likes and respects more. Putting aside the humour (which occasionally made me laugh out loud) and the zombie strangeness (which becomes satisfyingly complex) the main impact of this book comes from making the reader care about Angel Crawford.

"Even White Trash Zombies Get The Blues" is darker than the first novel. The scenes relating to Angel's treatment by her abductors are well enough written to be disturbing. This is about fear and humiliation and what happens when we treat people as things. Not a laugh a minute but not exploitative either. This is Angel's introduction to some of the more unpleasant realities of her new life. Her reaction to her experience forces her to grow or die and begins to shape here into someone who thinks about the big picture and not just how to survive until tomorrow.

Diana Rowland goes to some lengths to explain the science behind being a zombie. While I think this was important, even necessary, I felt there was a little too much info-dumping at some parts of the book. The science does sound plausible and it sets up all kinds of ideas that can feed future books but I'd have rather had it drip fed a little more. The best part of the explanation was Angel's reaction to it. Her enthusiasm for "learning cool stuff" is infectious.

I'm now a confirmed White Trash Zombie fan. I'll download them as they appear and consume them with pleasure.

I'm also a fan of Allison McLemore, not just for her Angel voice, which is perfect, but for her ability to give voices to other characters and to narrate the action scenes. I'll be looking at other books she's narrated.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

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